Handle lever operated power multiplying hand brake



May 2, 1950 HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER MULTIPLYING HAND BRAKE FiledJune 19, 1947 G. E. DATH Sheets-Sheet l Even {or G. E. DATH May 2, 1950HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER MULTIPLYING HAND BRAKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 19, 1947 Invenlor. Qg ge Ella m.

i atented May 2, 1950 HANDLE LEVER OPERATED POWER L IP mG HAND BRAKEGeorge E. Bath, Molgena, Ill., assignor.-to -W. H. Miner, Inc Chicago Ill., a corporation ofllelar ware Application June is, 1947 Serial No.755,641

(Cl. v 505) ,2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements hand brakes of the lever operatedtype, especially adapted foruse on railway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide .a hand brake mechanismcomprising a chain tightening drum, rotated by a swinging operatinghandle lever to apply the brakes, wherein the .drum is heldagainstrotation in brake releasing direction through the medium of alooking dog and the actuating lever is automatically disconnected fromoperative relation with respect to thedrum when dropped to pendantposition to :therebyallow rotation of the drum independently of theoperating -=handle lever when the dog is disengaged to effect release ofthe brakes.

A more specific object of :the invention ,is to provide in a hand brakemechanism of the character indicated, a mechanism for rotating the drum,comprising a ratchet wheel rotatable with the drum, a swinging lever forrotating the ratchet wheel, a sliding spring pressed pawl on the leverengageable with the ratchet ,wheel to lock the lever to the ratchetwheel and effect rotation thereof, anda trip element for thepawl,engageable with a fixed stop when the lever droppedto pendantposition toretract the pawl and release the'lever 'from operative engagement withthe ratchet wheel, thereby permittingrotation ofthe drum'independentlyofithe operating lever.

Other objects of, the invention will more clearly appear from-thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawings forming: apart ofthis speciflcatiomFigure 1is "a side elevational view'of a lever operatedhand brake mechanismembodying my improvements, showing the nechanismmounted on the end wallmember, of

arailway car. Figure 2 is a view,similarto Figure 1, with the operating:handle lever mechanism and the cover plate of the brake'housinsremoved. Figure 3 is a view,-simi1ar to Figure 2, partly broken away,showing the lockingdog-in released position. Figure 4 isasideelevationalview of the improved lever operatedhand brake mechanism shown in Figure1, lookingat the opposite side of themechanism. :Figurefiis atransverse, vertical sectional view, correspondin Substantially to theline 5- -5 Of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of thelever mechanism of the improved brake, corresponding substantially tothe line65 of Figure 5.

In said drawing, 10 indicates a portion of the vertical end wall of arailway car on which my improved hand brake mechanism, contained ,inhousing ll,is mounted.

My improved :hand brakemeehanism, as illustrated in ,the drawings,comprises .broadl y a chain winding drum-A, ,a gearwheel or spur gear Brotatable with ,the drum; adrivirig'pinionfC meshing with the, gearwheel 13, a ratchet wheel Drotatable with the pinion, alocking dog E forthe ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel lF rotatable with .the pinionC and ratchet wheel D, a swinging operating handle lever G, ,a springactuated sliding pawl H on :the lever G engageablawith the ratchet wheelF, and am element J ,on the operating lever G -I or the pawl H.

The housing ,ll, ,within which the, operating parts of the brakemechanism are contained, comprises avertically diSpOSd rear wall I 2,laterally spaced, vertical side walls ,l3 and -14, top andtbottom walls[5 and l6,,and a curved rmnt wall 11. Theside n I4 s in the formof 'aremovable cover plate ,secured by screws -H3 extending into webs formedonl-the housing proper. Thehousin is divided into twochambers HI and 20by a transverse, vertically disposed partition wall 21. The portionpfthebottomwall "lfifat the :chamber |-9 of the housing, A is upwardly olfsetwith respect to the portion thereof l which closes the bottom ,cf thechamber 20, and, said oifset :wall portion ,is provided with, spacedopenings 22-,22 therethrough,.adaptedto accommodate the verticallyextending portions of the usual brake chain, which chain is indicated'by 23. The rear wall l2 otthehousing'ihassecuring ears 24-7-24extendlngtherefrom by which the housing is supported on. the end wall;-||l\'i.bf the car,the samebeing-fixedto the-end walLby bolts 25-25extending throughv the ears. The :chain winding drum A is mounted in itthe chamber. I 9 and has the gear wheel orrspur gear B cast integraltherewith. The casting, comprising the combined drum and spur gearrLisrotatably supportedat one end byan integral axial shaft 25, ,journaled,in a bearing opening 12 providedin the cover plate orwallllofithehousing, and at the other .end by aninwardly projectingbearingboss .28 on the ,wallwl3 en a ed in a suitable axial, bearing opening,of the ,drum. The drum Ais of the pocketed type,-,actingrint,he mannerof asprocket wheel and has the chain 23, which leadsto thebrakemechanism proper of thecar, trainedthereover-in the usual-manner.The end 'ofthe chain which leadstotthe brake mechanism propel-isindicatedby-29 and the free weightedend thereof is indicated by E 30.The drum has peripheral annular guide flanges 3 3I--3l at opposite sidesthereof, the flange 3| at the spur gear side of the drum beingaccommodated in an opening 32 in the partition wall 2| of the housing,which opening also serves as hearing means for said flange. The spurgear wheel B of the combined drum and gear casting is located in thechamber 20 of the housing and meshes with the driving pinion C, which isfixed to a shaft 33, supported at opposite ends thereof in a bearingseat 34 and a bearing opening 35 provided respectively in the oppositeside walls of the bottom portion of the chamber 20, the shaft extendingthrough the opening 35 which is provided in the side wall or cover'platel4 of the housing and projecting outwardly of said wall. The shaft 33carries the ratchet wheel D, which is fixed thereto, this ratchet wheelbeing arranged on the shaft between the pinion C and the wall 14 of thehousing. The projecting end of the shaft is threaded at its extremity toreceive a locking nut 36, and is of square cross section inwardly ofsaid threaded end, as indicated at 31. The ratchet wheel F is mounted onthe square section 31 of the shaft, this ratchet wheel being providedwith an axial opening of square cross section within which the squareportion of the shaft tightly fits, the ratchet wheel F being thus lockedto the shaft for rotation therewith. The locking dog E, which serves tolock the brake mechanism against release, is pivoted on an inwardlyprojecting lug 38 on the rear wall I2 of the housing and has a dependingarm 39 provided with a tooth 40 at its outer end engaging the ratchetwheel D. At the inner or upper end, that is, at the pivoted portionthereof, the dog has a laterally extending, radially projecting lug ortail 4| thereon, which is engaged by a trip lever 42 by which the dog isoperated. The trip lever 42 is rotatably journaled at its lower end onthe shaft 25, being located between the spur gear B and the side wall I4of the housing. The upper end of the lever 42 is laterally offset andextends through an opening or slot 43 provided by cutting out the uppersection of the cover-plate or Wall M of the housing, the outer end ofsaid lever being in the formof a" hand grip portion 44. 'The lower orpivoted end of the lever 42] is provided with spaced lugs 45 and 46adapted to engage opposite sides of thelug 4| of the dog E to swing thesame into and out of engagement with the ratchet wheel as the lever isswung to and fro. A coil spring 41, interposed between the lower endportion of the arm 39 of the dog and the wall 12 of the housing, servesto press the dog yieldingly against the ratchet wheel. w 1 The operatinghandle lever G is swingingly supported on the shaft 33 exteriorly of thehousing II, the same comprising a hollow head por- ,tion 48 engaged overthe ratchet wheel Fand an operating lever arm 49 extending radially fromthe head portion. The head portion 48, which-is engaged over the ratchetwheel, is open at its inner side, as indicated at '59, the opening 50being circular in outline and having the wall thereof grooved to providean annular bearing seat which is engaged over an outwardly projecting,annular flange 52 on the ratchet wheel F at the inner side thereof,thereby supporting the head for rotation on said ratchet wheel. Theclosed side of the head 48 is'provided with a bearing opening 53,through which the shaft 33 extends, the head being thus also r'otatablysupported at its outer side by. the shaft;

At the headed end thereof, the arm 49 of the the stop lug 63, as seen inFigure l.

4 lever G is provided with a lengthwise extending opening or seat 54 ofsubstantially rectangular cross section, within which the pawl H isslidingly mounted, the latter being of rectangular cross section to fitthe opening and prevent turning of the pawl. The pawl H is yieldinglyforced toward the ratchet wheel F by a coil spring 55 interposed betweenthe inner end of the pawl and the bottom wall of the seat 54. At theouter end, the pawl has a tooth 58 engaging with the ratchet wheel F,the inclination of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and pawl being suchthat the teeth look when the lever G is swung to the left, as viewed inFigures 1 and 6, to turn the rachet wheel, and have ratcheting actionwhen the lever swings to the right, thus effecting intermittent rotationof the ratchet wheel F when the lever is oscillated.

'To retract the pawl H from operative engagement with the ratchet wheelF, when the operating lever G-is'dropped to pendant position, the tripelement J is provided. This element is in the form of a bell crank leverpivoted on a pin 5! extending through the same, and laterally extending,spaced flanges 58-58 on the lever arm 49, adjacent the head 48. The bellcrank lever-' like trip element J has two radially extending arms 59 and60, which are at right angles to each other, the "arm 60 engaging with alaterally projecting lug Bl at the inner end of the pawl H, whichprojects through a slot or open-'- ing 62 communicating with the openingbetween the flanges 58-58, into the path of movement of the arm 60. Thearm 59 is engageable with a fixed projection or stop lug 63, provided onthe side wall or cover plate H of the housing when the handle lever G isdropped to pendant position.

In the operation of my improved mechanism, in applying the brakes, theoperating handle lever G is oscillated, thereby effecting intermittentrotation of the ratchet wheel F and intermittent rotation of the drum Ain clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, through the medium of thepower multiplying pinion and gear connection. During this action, thedog E holds the ratchet wheel D against rotation in chainunwindingdirection, ratcheting over the ratchet wheel D. When theoperator releases his hold from the operating lever G, the latter dropsto its pendant position through action of gravity and the pawl H isautomatically retracted from operative engaged position with the ratchetwheel F by the trip lever G, the arm 59 of which strikes against Withthe pawl H thus disengaged, the drum is free to .rotate when the brakesare released by retracting the dog E from operative; engagement with theratchet wheelD' by means of the lever 44, the spur gear B and the pinion,C, together with the ratchet wheel 1-1 being free" to rotate with thedrum without effecting any; movement of the disconnected operatinghandle lever G. I

Iclaim: q

1. In an operating handle lever mechanism for a hand brake, comprising achain winding drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a ratchetwheel operatively connected to the drum for rotation therewith, thecombination with a swinging operating lever, said lever being swingableto and from pendant position about the axis of said ratchet wheel; aspring pressed sliding pawl on said lever engageable with said ratchetwheel; a bell crank pivoted on said lever for swinging movement on anaxis parallel to the axisof swinging movement of said lever and having apair of arms, one of which has shouldered engagement with the pawl; anda fixed stop in the o ii of movement of the other arm of said beli crankto be engaged thereby and rotate the bell vn7: when the operating leveris dropped to pe d? t position, thereby retracting said pawi from operative engagement with the ratchet wheel.

2. In an operating lever mechani m for a hand brake including a rotarychain Winding element, a ratchet Wheel operatively connected with saidelement for rotation therewith, the combination with an oscillatoryoperating lever swingable about a horizontal axis, said lever beingmovable to pendant position; a spring pressed. sliding pawl on sai leverengageable with said ratchet wheel to effect intermittent rotation ofsaid wheel when the lever is oscillated in reverse directions; aiaterally projecting lug on said pawl; a bell crank for retracting saidpawl, said bell crank being rotatably mounted for swinging movement onsaid lever on an axis parallel to the axis of swinging movement of saidoperating lever, said bell crank having radially extending arms at rightangles to each other, one of which has shouldered engagement with thelug of the pawl to retract said and a fixed stop in the path of movementof the other of said arms to be engaged thereby when the operating leveris dropped to pendant position, thereby rotating said. bell crank todisengage the pawl from the cooperating ratchet wheel.

GEORGE DATH.

HEFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 704,227 Witte July 8,, 19021,120,152 Lindstrorn Dec. 8, 1914 2,153,546 Apr. 11, 1939 2,227,315Mersereau -r--- Dec. 31, 1940

